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The government of Maldives President Mohammad Muisu has asked Indian soldiers to leave the Maldives by March 15.
The Maldives Foreign Ministry said the two countries have agreed to begin the process of withdrawing Indian forces. In the statement released by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, there was no mention of a time frame for the withdrawal of the Indian Army.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs of India, it has been said that a high-level Central Committee meeting was held in Malé, the capital of the Maldives. It is said that in this meeting, the enhancement of mutual relations and cooperation between the two countries was discussed.
The statement said that talks between the two countries were held to find a solution for the continued operation of India’s air base, which provides humanitarian and medical facilities to the people of the Maldives. Another meeting will be held between the two countries.
Statements issued after the high-level group meeting held in both countries regarding the withdrawal of Indian troops were not unanimous. On the one hand, Maldives has been saying that India is ready to withdraw its forces, on the other hand, India has said nothing of the sort.
The government of Maldives has given this deadline to India amid the tense situation between the two countries.
What did Jaishankar say about Maldives?
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Abdulla Najim Ibrahim, Principal Secretary for Public Policy to the President of the Maldives disclosed this during a press conference on Sunday.
According to a report by news agency PTI, there are currently 88 Indian soldiers in the Maldives as per the latest government figures.
Mohammed Muisu gave the slogan ‘Let’s kick India out’ in the last election. After becoming president, one of his initial priorities was to withdraw Indian troops.
Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar addressed the Mandan Town Hall in Nagpur on Saturday last week.
Then, he was questioned about the deteriorating relations with Maldives. To that, “I cannot guarantee that every country, every day, every person will support us or agree with us. In the last 10 years we have tried to do better and succeeded. We have made strong connections on many occasions. India-Maldives political relations are turbulent but common people in Maldives have a good opinion of India and they know the importance of good relations with India.” Jaishankar replied.
Image source, ANI
“Indian soldiers cannot stay in Maldives”
Maldives-based news agency One Online reported that Mohammad Muisu has set a deadline for India to withdraw troops by March 15.
Abdul Naseem Ibrahim, Principal Secretary, Public Policy, Government of Maldives said that Indian soldiers cannot stay in Maldives and the people of the country want the same.
The report said that the issue was raised even during the meeting between Mohammad Muisu and Prime Minister Modi.
According to a report published by One Online, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives says that India has agreed to immediately withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives and that a special committee has arrived from India to discuss the issue.
Image Source: PRESIDENCY.GOV.MV
Changes in Muisu after his trip to China
After returning from his first official visit to China, Maldivian President Mohammed Moose has taken an aggressive stance towards India. Mohammed Muisu indirectly attacks India without mentioning the name India.
It was hoped that some positive steps could be taken to defuse the strain in relations between the two countries after the objectionable comments made by Maldivian ministers about India and Prime Minister Modi.
The Maldivian opposition also demanded that the suspension of the ministers was not enough and that the Maldivian government should officially apologize to India over the matter.
But Muisu, who returned from a five-day trip to China on Saturday, said while answering questions from reporters, “We may be a small country, but that doesn’t give anyone the license to threaten us.”
Regarding the Indian Ocean, he said, “This ocean does not belong to any particular country. It belongs to all the countries around it.” He said.
Muizu added, “We are not a country in someone’s backyard, we are a free and sovereign country.” He said.
During all this, the Maldivian President did not mention any country by name. But amid the recent tension between India and the Maldives, his speech is believed to be related to India.
Apart from these statements, after Muisu returned to Maldives from China, the government there took some decisions directly related to India.
Just as Maldivian patients were sent to India and some other countries for higher healthcare facilities and treatment, they will now be sent to the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, Muisu announced after his visit to China.
Apart from this, the latest news in India-Maldives tension is the Maldives on Sunday asking India to withdraw its forces by March 15.
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Why is Muisu aggressive when he returns to China?
Mohammed Muisu’s anti-India stance is not new. When he contested the elections last year, his election campaign focused on the issue of anti-India.
Raising the slogan ‘Let’s get India out’, he promised that once he came to power, the Indian soldiers in the Maldives would be sent back.
But what is the reason for Muisu’s aggression towards India as soon as he returned from his trip to China?
SD Muni, a former professor at Delhi Jawaharlal Nehru University and an expert in international affairs, said, “Muhammad Muisu may not have mentioned India’s name. But his speech was aimed at India. At the same time, Muisu’s opinion should not be given too much importance,” he said.
He added, “Theoretically, any country can call itself a sovereign country at any time. This should be taken for granted. Because small countries are always afraid that big countries will attack us.” He said.
Also, “Muisu has returned from China. China would have assured Maldives that we will help you and that you follow your independent policy. In such a situation, Muisu would have had confidence in China’s support. I can say this clearly.” He said.